My friend Colleen Murray and I go back a long ways. I met her in 1975 when we were both teaching at the Catholic grammar school in Croton. I taught there for two years – math and science to grades 5 thru 8. The second year I was there, she was named principal.
I left for Jamaica after my two years, where I taught high school. Colleen actually came down for a visit with two friends, meeting my then girl-friend/now wife Brigid.
After my four years in the Caribbean (two Jamaica, two in the Cayman Islands) I came back to New York, and through an amazing coincidence ended up living only a few doors from the school I’d taught at. This is because it seemed the only place we could find that would take a dog, was a two family rental, at 109 Grand Street. (DIGRESSION – When I left for Jamaica, I was single, had just turned 26, and shipped two hundred pounds of stuff down – clothes, pots, pans, etc. When I left the Cayman Islands I had just turned 30 and shipped two thousand pounds of stuff back to New York, not including the wife and her big german shepherd, Feisty. There is some eternal truth buried in there.)
Colleen actually ended up with one of my wife’s german shepherd’s puppies (a litter born on Grand Street, after a forced marriage), a beautiful white shepherd she named Buffy.
Anyway, Colleen has always held a good-sized Christmas Party for her family and all the people she’s taught with. This past Saturday was her 29th annual party. The faces have changed a bit, and some of the original crew is no longer with us, but it was a great time. Really excellent.
The home front deal was I went by myself, while Brigid stayed with the boys. Tough break for Brigid, who loves Colleen’s party (in fact loves all parties, and is much more in demand then me!) so I’ll have to make it up to her.
Some of the talk revolved around my lymphoma and chemotherapy, as well as around Colleen’s own recent surgery for cancer. Not exactly pleasant topics, but we both actually yukked it up quite a bit. Besides the company, the wine, food, and brandy alexanders were excellent.
Here’s a nice picture of Colleen – except for what appears at first glance to be a bird’s nest growing out of her head. It’s actually a plant behind her. I’m not good enough with photo software to figure out how to eliminate it. Too bad Colleen, I’ll have to try again next year.
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